Frank & Lola

This film tells the story of a Las Vegas chef, who has a beautiful girlfriend. One day, he discovers that she is cheating on him. She explains the unfortunate truth, and he decides to sell revenge from the perpetrator.

"Frank & Lola" shows interesting characters who are real and relevant to daily lives. Frank wants to protect his girlfriend from harm, and would do anything to achieve that. The girlfriend Lola, on the other hard, appears to be vulnerable and victimised. As the story goes on, more truth is unveiled, but viewers are left to wonder what exactly is the truth. I sympathise with Frank, but don't understand him.

I'm a little surprised by the current 5.9 rating on here, so I really felt I needed to write a review.

The film is a little offbeat, definitely not your standard Hollywood fare. It's gritty, and fairly uncompromising. It takes place in Las Vegas and Paris, and the reason I mention that is because this sort of feels more like a French film than the American film that it actually is.

It is an American film that was selected for Sundance, and then was picked up by a Hollywood distributor.

For a person like myself who has literally seen thousands of films from all over the world, I understand and appreciate the rarity of realist films like this with very human characters and very real feelings.

I enjoyed the film entirely, and I definitely plan to watch it at least one more time in my life. It's a good film at the very least, and perhaps even better. I suspect that I may even rate this film a little higher upon a second viewing. It's one of those types of films that may be enjoyed even more with a less surprised viewer, because yes, the film like real life is a little unsettling at times. There was no doubt at the end of the film however that I definitely enjoyed it a lot.

I must mention that I thought both Shannon and Poots were nothing short of tremendous.

To end, let me just say that if you want something not so standard, or you're a huge film buff who's seen tons, definitely see this film!!

7.5/10

I'm a fan of Michael Shannon, but he is nobody's idea of a sex symbol. While a fantastic character actor, he doesn't do well in leading roles.

This film is full of cliche's yet manages to go exactly nowhere -- and slowly.

Frank & Lola is essentially a story about the relationship between the two main characters, Frank and Lola. To give anymore details about the plot would be to spoil major events in the film, which are better left unexpected.

Having seen a fair share of thrillers, this movie does not have a lot of new plot points to show. However, the way characters play them out is what brings this movie above an average thriller. Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots understand their characters quite well and have great on-screen chemistry. Even the secondary characters all play their roles convincingly. When I saw Justin Long had a small part in this movie, I thought I would hate his character since he usually cannot play a dramatic role well. But he plays a sleazy business man and does a fine job.

To pinpoint the genre of this film is nearly impossible. It is definitely a thriller on some levels, but not wholly. There are good romance scenes but also heavy dramatic dialogue. There are traces of film-noir but not enough to consider it a modern noir. The film struggles a bit because it tries to fit so many elements in such a short time.

From a technical standpoint, the team did not try to do anything out of the ordinary. The direction was good. Cinematography was quite basic. The editing was standard except for one scene where there was a strange editing choice that didn't seem the fit with the flow of the movie. If you don't normally pay attention to the technical side of film, you probably won't notice anything inherently wrong.

Overall, if you like thrillers in general or character-driven stories with some depth to them, this is a good indie film to check out.

Michael Shannon, one of my favorite actors, works a lot and takes chances with inexperienced directors so there are bound to be some misfires. Frank and Lola is definitely one of the misfires.

Director and writer Matthew Ross blew the beginning and tried to compensate for this early mishap in the editing room. The first twenty minutes, improperly composed, distract from essential character and relationship development necessary to the story's foundation. It is as though a slingshot is never quite pulled back and so the stone simply dribbles to the ground, missing its target.

The actors can not be faulted, the premise is intriguing and the potential for an unusual, impactful film exists here. It is just a disappointment that it never comes together despite the great actors involved.

I do not recommend this film. The theme of trust in relationships in a story involving jealousy and sexual intrigue should be much more compelling.